Welcome
Gathering the Jewels features over 30,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs and other items from museums, archives and libraries throughout Wales.
Search the map
New to Gathering the Jewels is G.I.S. A geographical search facility that will enable searching by location and place name.
Articles
Home » Articles » Photographic survey of Capel Celyn (Tryweryn), 1957 -65Photographic survey of Capel Celyn (Tryweryn), 1957 -65
Collection of photographs taken as part of a survey of farmhouses and other buildings at Capel Celyn (Tryweryn Valley), 1957-65.
Collection of photographs taken as part of a survey of farmhouses and other buildings at Capel Celyn (Tryweryn Valley), 1957-65.
At the end of 1955 it was announced that Liverpool Corporation was intending to build a new reservoir in the Tryweryn valley, in order to meet the city's growing need for water. The plan was to erect a dam on the river Tryweryn, thus drowning the village of Capel Celyn, north of Bala.
Despite strong opposition from many individuals, local authorities and national institutions, who launched a spirited campaign to oppose the proposals, the efforts to halt the building of the new reservoir failed and on 1 August 1957 the Liverpool Corporation Act was passed. Work began on the site three years later and was completed by August 1965. As well as losing their homes and land, the people of Capel Celyn also lost their village school and chapel. Some graves in the chapel cemetery were exhumed and moved to Llan-y-cil, while others were covered with concrete.
These black and white photographs were taken as part of a survey of the farmhouses and other buildings at Capel Celyn, c. 1957-65. They include photographs of the lands, farmhouses and other buildings, such as the village school, chapel and cemetery, which were eventually demolished and drowned.
